Taming the wild ones

My pampered housecats Gatito, Tony and Missy once were feral. I couldn’t get anywhere near them. They’d scamper off the minute I opened the door and wouldn’t even come near the food dish until I was well out of sight. Beautiful kittens and, oh, how I wanted them to be mine. But how could that happen? They walked on the wild side.

They showed up in May. I watched them longingly from our downtown apartment window as they played on the fire escape and were nursed by their mama. Then she disappeared and only the kits were left behind. I took over, faithfully leaving food and water every night on the roof garden porch where they hid under the boards in a very inaccessible and dark corner. I had never heard of trapping. Fortunately, a cat-savvy individual that I finally found was an expert at it. He agreed to help. We baited traps with tuna. The three felines, by now half grown and almost to the point where they would have started roaming, couldn’t resist. We got them, thereby rescuing them from the dangers of the downtown streets.

Next step: spaying and neutering, which was followed by a little socialization by my cat-savvy friend. Then he brought them back to me with the instructions that they were going to need a whole lot more work than he had time to offer. The job of taming now was up to me.

According to my friend, each feral cat tames down in a different way and to different degrees. Get the kits early enough in the game (about 6 weeks old is prime time) and you won’t have problems, really. Their behavior can easily be molded. Get them later, as we did, and the challenge is far greater. “I don’t think they’ll ever let me pet them,” I wailed. He told me that patience and persistence were key. “Building trust takes time,” he said.

We began by housing them in a large cage. Then we built an enclosure in the apartment. Soon the three cats took over the whole place. Gatito responded fairly quickly. He turned out to be a gentle soul who was meant to be a pet. Within weeks, he was lying in my lap. A little scared at first at his new surroundings but willing to give the domestic life a try.

Tony was another matter. He’d jump to the top of the cat tree whenever I came around or retreat to a spot where I couldn’t reach him. This went on for nearly a year. When I had about given up hope, he came padding along the back of the couch one night, nibbled my hair and to my surprise plopped down for a petting session. From then on, Tony the Terrible was a loverboy.

Missy was really hard to bring around. She would hiss, spit and swipe–even bite if she had the chance. She intended to be feral forever. I tried everything from toys to tuna to no avail. So, I decided to give her a good talking to. She’s an extra-smart cat and maybe she would understand. “Listen, sister,” I said, “it’s silly to bite the hand that feeds you.” Missy looked at me long and hard. And I swear this is true: she never misbehaved again. Today, she stands on her hind legs to meet my outstretched hand and sleeps on my bed, providing me with a very furry blanket.

What have I learned through all this? Simply that feral cats can come in from the cold, so to speak, no matter how old or how wild they are. Maybe not all of them. But many. You just have to love them enough and be willing to invest enough time in the taming process. In my opinion, it’s worth every effort. The pride I feel whenever I look at my three can’t be described. And I feel humble, too. To think that three wild creatures decided to share the world with me and trust me enough to be affectionate is quite something. They brighten every day with their companionship, make me laugh with their cute antics and comfort me in times of trouble.

People often say it’s wonderful the way we saved three feral cats. I say it’s wonderful the way they save me.

Taming tips:

 Trap kitty as early as possible. Younger cats that haven’t been in the wild too long are easier to socialize.

Get kitty spayed and neutered. It cuts down on aggressive behavior.

Try keeping kitty in an enclosure or small room at first while he/she is getting used to new surroundings. Then slowly introduce your new pet to the rest of the house.

Touch quickly at first, maybe while the pussycat is eating. Then pet a little more and slowly work up to a lap- sitting petting session.

Play with kitty. A game of fetch the catnip mouse forges a bond.

Talk to kitty and call him/her by name. This gets your cat accustomed to the sound of your voice and he/she may soon purr sweet nothings your ear.